It’s team up time. Magnetic Press, best known as publisher of a bunch of award-winning and magnificent French comics in the US, has partnered with Darby Pop, a comics studio founded by writer/producer Jeff Kline. Darby Pop’s line of graphic novels will be published as an imprint of Magnetic, starting with October’s SIDE-KICKED by writer Russell Brettholtz and artist Miguel Mendonca.
“In the current marketplace, it’s hard to get attention for any new titles, especially those not based on pre-existing brands,” Kline said in a statement. “But, in just their first year of existence, Magnetic Press seems to have found a recipe for connecting to a rabid fan base that both trusts their taste, and appreciates their commitment to the form. Originally, Mike Kennedy and I were just grabbing the occasional beer and sharing ‘war stories.’ But, at some point, it dawned on us that we shared so many of the same passions — and goals — that a partnership only made sense. ”
“Jeff has a proven track record for spotting and cultivating the most entertaining stories,” added Magnetic Press president Mike Kennedy. “The Darby Pop line promises that same engaging, animated audience experience with a whole new set of properties. We’re excited to support those debuts in the coming year!”
Sidekicks is a 96 page collection about a group of superhero sidekicks seeking the spotlight. Darby POp’s Kline is a multiple Emmy Award winner and wrote such comics as Transformers Prime, G.I. Joe: Renegades, and Jackie Chan Adventures. The line itself was first an imprint of IDW, where they published nearly 40 individual issues and trade paperbacks including CITY: THE MIND IN THE MACHINE by novelist/screenwriter Eric Garcia (Matchstick Men, Repo Men),THE 7TH SWORD by screenwriter John Raffo (Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, The Relic), DOBERMAN by movie/TV writers Scott Marder, Rob Rosell, and Jack Lambert (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Unsupervised), DEAD SQUAD by multi-hyphenates Matthew Federman and Stephen Scaia (Jericho, Warehouse 13, Human Target), and INDESTRUCTIBLE by Kline himself.
Magnetic Press has certainly established itself as one of the top new companies in recent years, and while the Darby POp material is a little far afield from their French material, safety in numbers!
